Improvement in instruments for ringing hogs



UNITED STATES FFICE.

PATENT if JOHN HEESEN, GEORGE HEESEN, AND HENRY NYLAND, OF TEOUMSEH, MICH.

IMPROVEMENT IN INSTRUMENTS FOR RINGING HOGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,440, dated June 27, 1871.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN HEEsEN, GEORGE HEEsEN, and HENRY NYLAND, of Tecumseh, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have inventeda newr and useful Improvement in Instruments for Ringing Hogs; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

The invention consists in the means for apply ing sheet-metal rings to hogs noses, which will be hereinafter fully described and subsequently pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l repre` sents the instrument with the jaws extended. Fig. 2 represents the piece of sheet metal of which the ring is formed. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the piece with the ends turned. Fig. 4L shows the ring formed. Fig. 5 shows it applied.

Similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A A are the levers or handles, which are joined together by the fulcruin-pin B after the manner of pinehers. O O are the jaws, with their extremities curved, as seen at D D. e c are iian ges, one on each side of each jaw, thus forming a recess for confining the piece of sheet metal F which is to be coiled up to forni the ring, Fig. 4. The long ends of the levers or handles A A are formed to give the first bend to the ends of the plate F, of which the ring G is formed. It will be observed that the jaws do not close entirely, but are stopped by the flanges c c before they meet. This is necessary to permit the ends of the ring to lap and be secured against the possibility of sufficient pressure apart to allow it to be removed by the animal. Hence, these flanges e c perform two important functions, namely, as stops to the jaws and n lateral-limitin g projections, and guides to the inetal blank. HandE on the drawing are stops sometimes employed to prevent somewhat analogous instruments from being forced together with too great a pressure; but they can be entirely dispensed with in our device. The ends of the pieceF are bent or curved, as seen in Fig. 3,by the hollow and round, as the first operation after the pieces are cut out. This piece, Fig. 3, is now placed in the recess between the jaws C C, the curved ends corresponding with the curves D D of the jaws. By forcing the jaws toward each other the piece of metal will be coiled into a ring, J, with the ends of the piece lapping by each other, as seen in the drawing. Instead of sheet metal wire may be used, with the ends sharpened; but we prefer the sheet-n'letal or iiat ring. Now, when the piece is placed within the jaws, the nose of the hog is caught between the jaws, when a single gri pe forces the sharp ends or points of the metal through the skin, completing thering and securely fastening it in the nose.

In the use of this instrument we do not confine ourselves exclusively to ringing swine. It may be applied to inserting rings in leather or cloth. We therefore claim it for all the purposes for which it may be adapted.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The two pivoted concave jaws C D, combined with the flanges c c, acting as lateral guides to the metal bla-n k and stops to the jaws, for the purpose specified.

JOHN HEESEN. GEORGE HEESEN. Witnesses: HENRY NYLAND.

HIRAM WEs'rcoTT, GEORGE SMITH. 

